17 Sisyphus revisited

A parable in the Cornucopian spirit for Christmas

In a world of scarcity, our work and organisations are focused first on surviving, and then on producing enough for a safe and comfortable life. As we are shifting to a world of abundance, doing work which is meaningful to us, and working for organisations with a purpose, becomes much more important. As we become aware of our power to shape the world, we can decide to consciously create the future we want for humanity.

The philosopher Albert Camus uses the myth of Sisyphus as a parable for human existence. We are condemned to toil endlessly, without result, like Sisyphus pushing a boulder up the hill, only to have it roll down again. This is certainly the case in a world without progress, in which we are barely surviving, but is it true in a world of abundance and creativity? Can humanity escape Sisyphus’ fate? If so, what does that future look like? Let’s revisit this myth and the fundamental question about of the meaning of our lives.

The outside world overflows our senses: we continuously see, hear, smell, taste and feel. Our mind overflows with thoughts and memories: there is constant chatter in our heads. The world is full of possibility. We continuously filter this overflow, by shifting our gaze, by picking up sounds, by noticing things, and by making choices. As we are shifting from survival to living, the meaning of our lives also changes. How do we find meaning in a world which is not empty, but overflowing?

Generosity - a virtue many of us aspire to - is not just about giving money away, or sharing tangible things. It is also generosity of spirit, magnanimity: being genuinely happy for other people's successes and fortune, rather than jealous or resentful. If we make a mental shift to abundance, if we realise we live in a world of plenty, we are no longer in endless competition, and generosity of spirit comes naturally. The same effect occurs with financial generosity. Realising we live in an abundant world makes us naturally generous.

The shift to abundance has led to an abundance of objects, of creative content, but also of possibilities and of choices. If we apply our traditional strategies when choosing, such as trial-and-error, we will be overwhelmed. We become paralysed, incapable making a choice, or fearful of missing out on a better option. In this episode we explore new strategies to enjoy an abundance of choice, and to reframe the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) into the Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO).

Nothing illustrates the shift to abundance as powerfully as the enormous rise in creative content - music, books, videos, films, TV series - that have become available to all of us with the advent of the Internet and the smartphone. This overflow of material is both wonderful and overwhelming. And we are on the cusp of a new wave, of a veritable tsunami of software-generated material, with the advent of AI programs like Chat GPT. What new strategies can we develop to enjoy this overflow of material, instead of drowning in it?

Nuclear weapons, greenhouse gases, plastic soups, forever chemicals, genetically modified food, viruses and animals, artificial intelligence: since the dawn of civilisation, technology has been both a blessing and a curse. The parable of the Sorcerer's apprentice, who unleashes forces he cannot control, is thus a cautionary tale. But it is also a tale of apprenticeship, of curiosity and ambition, of learning by making - and correcting - mistakes. As we shape the future of humanity and our planet through technology and policies, doing many things for the first time, we are all apprentices.

Nature is not scarce, but it can be destroyed. Our greatest problem is therefore not scarcity, but our wanton destruction. Ancient wisdom, in the form of the parable of the goose with the golden eggs, illustrates this wonderfully: the abundant growth of the natural world - the golden eggs - and the vulnerability of natural ecosystems (the goose). We unpack the layers and lessons of this teaching tale to inspire our shift to abundance.

Climate Positivity is a way to approach our current climate crisis from an abundance mindset. The challenge we are facing is enormous: we need to start paying back a carbon debt that we have accumulated over centuries. Furthermore, everything that we do produces too many greenhouse gases: our energy use, our agriculture, our production system, our transportation, and our built environment. So, the key is not to produce less, but to produce differently: we need to reinvent everything. We can apply a simple carbon calculus to prioritize the most effective measures. What can you contribute as an individual, as a global citizen, with your organisation and your profession?